My own private Idul Fitri

A friend of mine was scandalized to find that I will only have two days off for this year’s Idul Fitri’s holiday.

“How could they do that to you? It’s an important religious event for you! How cruel of them!” she said, indignant on my behalf over the telephone.

I started to tell her that it’s perfectly understandable.
I work for a newspaper, and a newspaper isn’t like a government office where they have two days of joint leave prior to the Idul Fitri holidays proper, plus one extra day off on Friday because it’s a Harpitnas, the National Sandwiched Day, a work day squeezed between a holiday and the weekend. (And don’t get me started with the habit of some, if not most government officials to extend their vacation up to a week after they are supposed to get back to the office.)

Mass exodus

Ketupat

Jakarta starts to empty.

As traffic flees, change is in the air. The people pulang to celebrate Idul Fitri with their families. The city’s roads become unstuck and the smog clears — it is time for new beginnings.

Selamat Idul Fitri.

Om’bak is taking a short break. We will return in about a week, maybe more, maybe less. There may be the occasional sporadic post in the interim.

In the meantime, use the comment section below to tell us what you are interested in and to give us feedback. What issues do you want Om’bak to address? Whether it be something related to Indonesia, Australia or women in general, what matters to you?